Page 87 of Children of Anguish and Anarchy

On the opposite end of the forest, Amari races forward. My sister extends her palms. My lips part as the blue light of her Connector magic rages again.

“Ha!” Amari bares her teeth and her magic shoots free. Turquoise clouds hit the band of Skulls in the face. They grab their temples as she forces them to their knees.

But more Skulls approach from the distance. Far too many for us to fight. Glowing red axes flicker like torches as the weapons come to life.

The transformed Skulls ram straight through the bending trees. It’s as if all eight crews charge us at once. If we don’t get away now, our hope of escape is gone.

“Let’s go!” I shout.

I pick Zélie back up as we run. My heart hammers against my chest. Our feet pound through the sand. The ground rumbles behind us.

Tzain runs in from behind Amari, carrying a wounded Köa with Emperor Jörah. We join forces with them as we race to the beach. When Jörah spots Mae’e, his russet skin burns red.

“O que você está fazendo aqui?!” the emperor roars at Mae’e. Even without understanding their tongue, I understand his fear. But Mae’e doesn’t have a chance to answer. The future hierophant forces herself ahead.

Mae’e extends her arms, causing our videira to twist to life. Its vines wrench free from the sand. They curl around Zélie’s unconscious body, pulling her in.

The videira Emperor Jörah took to the island races to the coast. Vines shoot out and attach to Mae’e’s boat. Time slips away as we board the conjoined boats. All around us, the Skulls swarm.

They break from the forest in a craze. Over a hundred arc toward us at once.

“Go!” Amari shouts.

With a push, Mae’e forces us into the seas. The vines whip through the black waters, leaving the Skulls roaring at our backs.

PART IV

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

AMARI

THE TRIP BACK TONew Gaia feels like it lasts a lifetime. My body still shakes from the horde of Skulls we escaped. Zélie stays unconscious.

There’s no life behind her silver eyes.

Tzain cradles his sister to his chest. The blood of every Skull he battled coats his dark skin. Everything in me yearns to comfort him, but I don’t know what to say.

I’ve never seen him act that way.

The only conversation passes between Jörah and Mae’e. Though I’m starting to understand the New Gaians’ tongue, they yell almost too quickly for me to follow.

“You endanger our people—” Jörah starts.

“I followed the Sight!” Mae’e interrupts.

“You endanger yourself—”

“We saved your life!”

The emperor berates Mae’e for leaving the safety of her temple, but Mae’e doesn’t back down. I’m left staring at the flickers of blue light around my hands.

It’s been so long since I felt the full burn of my magic, all the power at my command. After being imprisoned by the Skulls, I forgot what it waslike to bring my enemies to their knees, to connect to their minds, to see what they’ve seen.…

The ground rumbles with the heavy paws of their armor-plated bears. The bronze Skulls create a sea over their barren plains. One cry fills the black night.

“Fyrir Föður Stormanna!”

The chant rings from coast to coast as all six tribes descend on the capital city of Iarlaith. The warriors wait in long lines before theirgaldrasmiðar. With waves of their hands, the fur-clad magicworkers carve new runes into the Skulls’ chests, preparing them for the Blood Moon in ten days.

---